Apparatus for accommodating a loop



Ap 1964 J. G. ROTHFUSS ETAL APPARATUS FOR ACCOMMODATING A LOOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H" I H: [I

Filed Nov. 6, 1961 N q FllL mum N @W N N i KN QN NW, NHWM u Nw RN l I M MWI Mm April 1964 J. G. ROTHFUSS ETAL 3,130,888

APPARATUS FOR ACCOMMODATING A LOOP Filed Nov. 6, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m. l w g- 1112 33 wfxkdinflaii United States Patent 3,130,888 APPARATUS FOR ACCOMMODATING A LOOP John G. Rothfuss, Cedar Lake, and William D. Hendron, East Chicago, Ind., assignors to Inland Steel Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 150,442 Claims. (Cl. 226113) The present invention relates generally to apparatus for accommodating a loop accumulating in a strip of material travelling along a path including two adjoining path portions extending in different directions, and more particularly to an apparatus of this type including means for maintaining the two opposing legs of the loop in noncontacting relation.

The subject apparatus is intended for use typically in situations where a strip of material is subjected to a continuous processing operation, such as a metal strip rolling line, a steel strip galvanizing line, and the like. In operations of this nature, the strip is often conveyed along a path including two adjoining path portions extending in difierent directions. For example, the path may include an upper horizontal path portion which arcs downwardly to join a lower horizontal path portion extending back in the direction from which the upper path portion came. A strip moving along such a path forms a loop at the junction of the two path portions, and if that part of the strip moving along the upper path portion is moving at a faster speed than the part of the strip moving along the lower path portion, the bight of the loop moves outwardly from the normal junction of the two path portions due to the slack occurring as a result of the discrepancy in the speeds. To maintain tautness in the loop, means are provided for engaging the inner surface of the bight of the loop and for moving the bight-engaging means away from or toward the normal junction of the two path portions in response to similar movement on the part of the bight.

However, as the size of the loop increases and the bight moves farther and farther away from the normal junction of the two path portions, the weight of the upper leg of the loop causes the upper leg to droop downwardly toward the lower leg of the loop. If the upper leg of the loop, moving in one direction, drops downwardly low enough to contact the lower leg of the loop, moving in a second direction opposite to that in which the upper leg moves, the contacting surfaces of the two legs become marred or scratched, which is undesirable.

The present inveniton provides an apparatus including means, to be subsequently described in detail, for maintaining the two legs of the loop in spaced, non-contacting relation, no matter how far the bight is moved from the normal junction of the two path portions. More specifically, movable supporting means for the upper leg of the loop is provided, and this supporting means is ordinarily maintained adjacent the normal junction. When the bight has moved outwardly a predetermined distance from the normal junction, but less than that distance at which the upper leg of the loop droops into contact with the lower leg of the loop, the upper leg-supporting means moves outwardly from the junction together with the lengthening upper leg to support the upper leg and prevent it from drooping downwardly any further.

Other features and advantages are inherent in the structure claimed and disclosed, as will become apparent .to those skilled in the ,art from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a typical embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the apparatus in a normal unextended position;

3,13%,888 Patented Apr. 28, 1964 [FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view similar to FIG- URE l and showing the apparatus in an extended position;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the subject apparatus; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view, taken along line 44 in FIGURE 3.

Referring initially to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown an embodiment of apparatus, indicated generally at 10, for accommodating a loop in a strip of material such as steel to he galvanized and indicated generally at 11. In the illustrated embodiment the strip 11 is being moved along a path having adjoin-ing upper and lower substantially horizontal path portions. Accordingly, the strip takes on .a loop-shaped configuration including an upper loop leg 12 which travels along the upper horizontal path portion, a bight :14 (which travels along the junction between the two path portions, and a lower leg 13 travelling along the lower horizontal path portion.

When the speed of the strip is the same along both the upper and lower path portions, these two portions adjoin at the normal junction shown in FIGURE 1. If the upper leg 12 of the strip moves along the upper path portion at a speed greater than that at which the lower leg 13 moves along the lower path portion (due to a slow-up or stoppage somewhere along or ahead of the lower path portion) the loop bight 14 moves outwardly (to the left in FIGURE 1) away from the normal junction of the two path portions.

To maintain the loop in a taut condition at all times, bight engaging means in the form of a loop car 19 is provided to engage the inner surface of bight 14, said loop .car 19 being movable away from or toward the normal junction of the two path portions, along a second path extending through the normal junction, in response to similar movement by bight 14. In other words loop car 19 moves outwardly for-wardly from the unextended position shown in FIGURE 1 to an extended position such as that shown in FIGURE 2 and then back to its unextended position as bight 14 follows the same course of movement.

-Loop car 19 is conneced by a pair of normally relaxed chains or elongated relaxable coupling means 40 to a first movable leg support car 20 located rearwardly of loop car 19 and normally underlying upper leg 12 adjacent the normal junction of the path portions and in turn connected by a pair of normally relaxed chains 40a to an additional movable leg support car 20a located rear- Wardly of car 20*. When loop car 19 has moved outwardly a distance equal to the length of chains 40, the slack in chains 40 is taken up thereby pulling on leg support car 20 and causing car 20 to move outwardly with the lengthening upper leg, thereby preventing the upper leg along said second path, from drooping downwardly into contact with lower leg .13. When the first support car 20 moves outwardly away from its normal position shown in FIGURE 1 a distance equal to the length of chains 40a, the second support car 2% is also urged outwardly along the second path to help support upper leg 12 of the loop and thereby prevent that part of the strip between the two leg support tears from drooping downwardly and contacting lower leg -13. Although the illustrated embodiment is depicted as having two leg support cans this number is not critical, although the apparatus should have at least one. Thus the movable support cars maintain the two loop legs .12, 13 in spaced, non-contacting relation when the loop bight 14 moves outwardly away from the normal junction of the two path portions, and thereby prevent scratching or marning of the strip.

Describing the illustrated embodiment of the subject apparatus now in greater detail, FIGURES 1 and 2 show cn a threaded portion 49 of rod 4 7.

shown in FIGURE 3.

' on rails 18.

a floor 16 upwardly from which extend pairs of spaced standards 15 each mounting a lower bracket 17 for supporting a respective one of a pair of spaced rails 18 along which loop car 19 and support cars 24! Elia travel shown in FIGURE 1 by motor means 21 mounted on chassis 223 and controlled by conventional automatic or manual means (not shown).

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate, in detail, leg support car 26a, substantially identical to car 21?, and comprising two pairs of wheels 27 each mounted on an axle 28 .journalled between a pair of elements 29 supporting a chassis 349 upwardly from which extends a pair of frame members 32 each mounting an arcuate member 31. Journalled between the two arcuate members 31 are a plurality of rollers 33 for engaging the lower or inner surface of loop upper leg 12 to support said leg.

Loop car 19 is connected to leg support car 20 by means illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. Extending upwardly at opposite sides of chassis 23, near the rear thereof (to the right in FTGURES l and 2) are a pair of spaced posts 43 (only one of which is shown) rearwardly from each of which extends a rod 42 terminating in a portion 41 connected to one end of chain 40 the other end of which is connected to a terminal portion 4-4 of a rod 47 extending through a bracket 46 extending upwardly along a respective side of chassis 3% on support car 20.

FIGURE 3 illustrates in detail shock-absorbing means identical for both leg support cars 20, 20a. Surrounding rod 47 is a coil spring 48 one end of which is engageable with bracket :6 and the other end of which is engageable with a nut 54 screwed to a predetermined position Accordingly, when outward movement of loop car it? pulls chain 40 from the relaxed condition shown in FIGURE 1 to a taut condition, such that shown in FIGURE 2, the shock of the pull is absorbed by compressible spring 43, engaged between bracket 46 and nut 50. The tension in spring 48 may be varied by adjusting the position of nut 50.

Loop car 29 is connected to loop car Zii'a by means Rod 47 terminates at a rearward portion 51 connected to one end of a chain 49a the other end of which is connected to means on'support car Ztia similar to that on support car 20 which is connected to the rearward end of chain Ml. Support car Zita has resilient shock absorbing means, as described above.

Support car Ztia is connected to the rest of the apparatus by means similar to that connecting each 'of the two support cars together. More specifically, rod 47 on support car Ztia includes a rear terminal portion 51 connected to one end of a chain 40b the other end of which is connected to a terminal portion 52 on a rod 53 extending from a vertical support member 54 mounted Member 54 also mounts an idler roller 55 across which strip 11 passes after leaving processing rolls indicated generally at 60.

Referring to FIGURE 4, each of the vertical support standards 15 mounts an upper bracket d for supporting one of a pair of spaced parallel elongated troughs 57 extending in the direction in which loop bight 14 travels. Each of the troughs 57 is spaced below a respective car bracket 46 and accommodates the chains 40a, 4% when the latter are in a relaxed condition. This prevents the chains from drooping downwardly and interfering with the rest of the apparatus, e.g. wheels 27 on support car 4 2%, etc. It should be noted that the troughs 57 are located between the upper and lower loop legs. 12, 13 respectively and that the distance between the two troughs 57 is greater than the width of the strip 11.

When motor 21 returns loop car 19 to its normal unextended position (FIGURE 1), the loop car pushes against leg support car 20 which pushes against leg support car 29a to return the support cars to their normal positions, the relaxation in chains 40, 40a being accommodated by troughs 57.

There has thus been described an apparatus for accommodating a loop in a strip of material travelling along a path including two adjoining path portions extending in diiferent directions, said apparatus including means for maintaining the opposite leg portions of the loop in spaced, non-contacting relation at all times.

Although the illustrated embodiment of the apparatus has been described in conjunction with a metal strip moving along a continuous galvanizing line, the apparatus of the subject invention is not limited to use with metal strips or on galvanizing lines, but may be used for other types of strip material and in connection with other types of processing operations.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

' What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus "for accommodating a loop accumulating in a strip of material having loop legs traveling along a first path including two adjoining vertically spaced path portions normally meeting at a normal junction, said apparatus comprising:

means normally located at said normal junction for engaging the inner surface of the bight of said loop;

means mounting said bight-engaging means for movement along a second path extending through said normal junction;

means for moving said night-engaging means along said second path forwardly away from and back toward said normal junction of said two first path portions in response to similar movement by said loop b ight;

means, located rearwardly of said bight-engaging means,

for engaging the inner surface of the upper of the vertically spaced legs of said loop;

means mounting said leg-engaging means for movement along said second path;

chain means;

means connecting one end of said chain means to said bight-engaging means;

and resilient, shock-absorbing means connecting the other end ofthe'chain means to the leg-engaging means. 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and comprising trough means extending in the direction of said second path, for accommodating said chain means when the latter is in a relaxed condition.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein: said chain means comprises a pair of chains laterally spaced a distance greater than the width of said strip;

and said trough means comprises a pair of troughs each located between the two legs of said loop and laterally spaced to accommodate a respective one of said chains.

4. Apparatus for accommodating a loop accumulating in a strip of material having loop legs traveling along a first path including two adjoining rvertically spaced path "portions normally meeting at a. normal junction, said apparatus comprising:

means normally located at said normal junction for engaging the inner surface of the bight of said loop; means mounting said bight-engaging means for movement along a second path extending through said normal junction;

means for moving said bight-engaging means along said second path forwardly away from and then back toward said normal junction of said two first path portions in response to similar movement by said loop bight;

means, located rearwardly of said bight-engaging means,

for engaging the inner surface of the upper of the vertically spaced legs of said loop;

means mounting said leg-engaging means for ment along said second path;

elongated relaxable coupling means;

means connecting one end of said relaxable coupling means to said bight-engaging means;

and resilient, shock-absorbing means connecting the other end of the relaxable coupling means to the legengaging means.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 and comprising trough means, extending in the direction of said second path for accommodating said relaxable coupling means when the latter is in a relaxed condition.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein:

said relaxable coupling means comprises a pair of elongated relaxable members laterally spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said strip;

and said trough means comprises a pair of troughs each located between the two legs of said loop and laterally spaced apart to accommodate a respective one of said relaxable coupling members.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 and comprising:

additional means, located rearwardly of said first recited leg-engaging means, for engaging the inner surface of said upper leg of said loop;

means mounting said additional leg-engaging means for movement along said second path;

additional elongated relaxable coupling means;

means connecting one end of said additional coupling means to one of said leg-engaging means;

and resilient, shock-absorbing means connecting the other end of said additional coupling means to the other of said leg-engaging means.

IIIOVC- 8. In apparatus for accommodating a loop accumulating in a strip of material having loop legs traveling along a first path including two adjoining, vertically spaced path portions normally meeting at a normal junction:

first means for engaging the inner surface of the upper of the vertically spaced legs of said loop;

means mounting said first leg-engaging means for movement along a second path extending through said normal junction;

second means for engaging the inner surface of said upper loop leg;

means mounting said second leg-engaging means for movement along said second path;

elongated relaxable coupling means;

means connecting one end of said relaxable coupling means to one of said leg-engaging means;

and resilient, shock-absorbing means connecting the other end of said relaxable coupling means to the other of said leg-engaging means.

9. In apparatus as recited in claim 8;

trough means, extending in the direction of said second path for accommodating said relaxable coupling means when the latter is in a relaxed condition.

10. In apparatus as recited in claim 9:

said relaxable coupling means comprises a pair of elongated, relaxable members laterally spaced apart a distance greater than the Width of said strip;

and said trough means comprises a pair of troughs each located between the two legs of said loop and laterally spaced apart to accommodate a respective one of said relaxable coupling members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,025,418 Moore Dec. 24, 1935 2,277,658 Anderson Mar. 31, 1942 2,344,225 Washburn Mar. 14, 1944 2,750,187 Bannister et al. June 12, 1956 2,820,402 Waenerlund Jan. 21, 1958 

1. APPARATUS FOR ACCOMMODATING A LOOP ACCUMULATING IN A STRIP OF MATERIAL HAVING LOOP LEGS TRAVELING ALONG A FIRST PATH INCLUDING TWO ADJOINING VERTICALLY SPACED PATH PORTIONS NORMALLY MEETING AT A NORMAL JUNCTION, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: MEANS NORMALLY LOCATED AT SAID NORMAL JUNCTION FOR ENGAGING THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BIGHT OF SAID LOOP; MEANS MOUNTING SAID BIGHT-ENGAGING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A SECOND PATH EXTENDING THROUGH SAID NORMAL JUNCTION; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BIGHT-ENGAGING MEANS ALONG SAID SECOND PATH FORWARDLY AWAY FROM AND BACK TOWARD SAID NORMAL JUNCTION OF SAID TWO FIRST PATH PORTIONS IN RESPONSE TO SIMILAR MOVEMENT BY SAID LOOP BIGHT; MEANS, LOCATED REARWARDLY OF SAID BIGHT-ENGAGING MEANS, FOR ENGAGING THE INNER SURFACE OF THE UPPER OF THE VERTICALLY SPACED LEGS OF SAID LOOP; MEANS MOUNTING SAID LEG-ENGAGING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID SECOND PATH; CHAIN MEANS; MEANS CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID CHAIN MEANS TO SAID BIGHT-ENGAGING MEANS; AND RESILIENT, SHOCK-ABSORBING MEANS CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF THE CHAIN MEANS TO THE LEG-ENGAGING MEANS. 